Paia, HI

Mon Dec 28th: Haleakala Day

Also: Move to Lahaina Day: Honua Kai Resort, 130 Kai Malina Pkwy #711 Lahaina (Hokulani Tower)

It was our last morning in Paia and we were all quite glad to be departing. The rooms were poorly insulated and so the noise throughout the night kept all of us awake, on both nights, for quite some time. Here’s hoping the next accommodation is better insulated and more comfortable!

Check in at our Kaanapali /Lahaina accommodation wasn’t until 4 pm and so we decided to fill in the day by taking the drive up to Haleakala Crater. This was a 1.5 hr drive from Paia and, as you would anticipate, a slow winding trip at that. The scenery was spectacular though and well worth the effort as we left a lush and tropical landscape for a barren and lunar one. We did a bit of a walk down into part of the crater along the Sliding Sands Trail before heading on back down and towards Kaanapali.

We stopped off at Safeways on the way to the condo and then managed to find Honua Kai Towers quite easily. The landscaped highway on route to the condo had raised our hopes about the potential quality of our new digs and we weren’t disappointed. The condo was clean, comfortable, quiet and well appointed.

We unpacked our supplies and settled into our rooms before heading down to check out the beach path walkway and to have a drink at Dukes. Mark made two new friends on the day: the first at the bar in Dukes and the second whilst downstairs BBQing steaks for our dinner.

It was a lovely and relaxing evening dining out on the large balcony whilst taking in the beach view and watching life at the complex whilst drinking a fantastic Sonoma red. The relatively early turn-in for the night was appreciated by all given the busy few days we’d just been through.

This place had a really good feel, right from the first moment, and I was very much looking forward to the the next few days.